A distressing video of Tanzania’s finance minister coughing and gasping as he gave a press conference to defend the state of his health, was widely condemned on Wednesday. Finance Minister Philip Mpango, who did not reveal what he was suffering from, appeared at the press conference outside a hospital in the capital Dodoma, after rumours that he had died of Covid-19. Mpango, his voice trembling, had a coughing fit at the press conference to announce he was being discharged from hospital after 14 days. The coughing minister, who was not wearing a mask, was flanked by a doctor and a hospital director — both also maskless — while about 10 journalists attended the conference. Tanzanians: Minister of Finance Dr Mpango is seriously ill, on a ventilator, due to COVID-19 Government: Dr Mpango is not very ill. Let’s call a press conference and show you the Finance Minister.

Source: Daily Nation February 24, 2021 16:07 UTC